While many blogs serve as a deliberate backdrop for online interaction, some pride themselves on just the opposite. Actively restricting readers from becoming vocal participants, these blogs do not allow comments on posted entries. Not surprisingly, a large number of no-comment blogs are politically oriented. Without getting into the nitty-gritty of any particular political system, it is not difficult to recognize news flow as historically non-interactive. In a lot of cases, blogs appear to reject comments as a means of maintaining a type of authoritative purity. A quick way to bypass dissenting opinions or trolls, the absence of a comment box lends an air of finality to the posted entry. When only the writer(s) of the blog can add or edit the blog’s contents, they have the ultimate say in what its readers will encounter. Whether this capability is used to solidify personal bias or actively exclude unreliable information, the result is the same. What all bloggers must then decide is whether or not they want other voices heard on their page. Josh Marshall’s “Talking Points Memo” is an example of a blog that chose not to, but interestingly enough provides a template for affirmation. By clicking on the “recommend” link on the top an entry, the reader can offer a positive opinion without really verbally contributing. In this case, there was no option for negative feedback.
Overview
While many blogs serve as a deliberate backdrop for online interaction, some pride themselves on just the opposite. Actively restricting readers from becoming vocal participants, these blogs do not allow comments on posted entries. Not surprisingly, a large number of no-comment blogs are politically oriented. Without getting into the nitty-gritty of any particular political system, it is not difficult to recognize news flow as historically non-interactive. In a lot of cases, blogs appear to reject comments as a means of maintaining a type of authoritative purity. A quick way to bypass dissenting opinions or trolls, the absence of a comment box lends an air of finality to the posted entry. When only the writer(s) of the blog can add or edit the blog’s contents, they have the ultimate say in what its readers will encounter. Whether this capability is used to solidify personal bias or actively exclude unreliable information, the result is the same. What all bloggers must then decide is whether or not they want other voices heard on their page. Josh Marshall’s “Talking Points Memo” is an example of a blog that chose not to, but interestingly enough provides a template for affirmation. By clicking on the “recommend” link on the top an entry, the reader can offer a positive opinion without really verbally contributing. In this case, there was no option for negative feedback.History
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Opinion
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Future Trends?
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